Villains: Starting with the Landlady

Page 143

[Value: 170]

[Rating: 94]

[Combat Strength: A+]

[Affection: Falling in Love (Natural Affinity Up+)]

"You've arrived, sir?" Gai Luojiao, disguised as the proprietress, walked over. There was already a table of women eating at the door, and they seemed perfectly normal.

"Yes, bring us a good meal and a pot of wine."

Although Lingyun is not prone to getting drunk, he still enjoys sampling drinks from different places and trying new things.

He tossed a silver ingot to Gai Luojiao, who pretended to be happy and greedy, but her gaze lingered on Zhao Ling'er for a moment longer.

Yue Ru and Ling'er didn't notice anything amiss. They sat down with Ling Yun, and after the dishes were served, Yue Ru started to feel drowsy before they had even finished eating.

"Sister Yue Ru, what's wrong?"

Zhao Ling'er asked with concern, and Yue Ru tried to reach for the long sword on her back, but her hand lost strength halfway through: "The food...the food...is poisoned!"

Ling Yun calmly took out the antidote from his spatial storage and gave it to her. After regaining her strength, Yue Ru's first thought was to seek revenge on the beautiful proprietress. But as soon as she stood up, the women at the table behind her all stood up with long knives in hand.

"Hmph, who do we have here? It turns out to be a shady inn that kills and robs!"

"Excuse me, young lady."

Gai Luojiao walked out of the room, holding a long staff in her hand: "This is an internal matter of my Bai Miao tribe, please do not get involved, young lady."

"Bai Miao ethnic group?"

Yue Ru quickly realized that it was related to Ling'er and exchanged a glance with the latter.

Zhao Ling'er gracefully stood up and looked at Gai Luojiao, asking, "Sister, are you from the Bai Miao tribe?"

"You must be Ling'er?" Gai Luojiao asked with a gentle smile. "My name is Gai Luojiao, and I am a general of the Bai Miao tribe. You look just like the Witch Queen."

"Have you seen my mother?" Zhao Ling'er asked excitedly, after all, she had left her mother at a very young age and gone to Immortal Spirit Island with her maternal grandmother. "Is she doing well now?"

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Gai Luojiao hesitated for a moment, because Lin Qing'er had been rescued by a mysterious person during the internal strife more than ten years ago and had never appeared since. Otherwise, why would they need to travel thousands of miles to come here to pick up Zhao Ling'er?

"Is Mother not with the Bai Miao people?"

Zhao Ling'er's face darkened. She subconsciously glanced at Ling Yun. After all, Ling Yun had promised to rescue her mother safely. The young man's strength was comparable to that of a god. Could it be that he couldn't do it?

“Yes.” Gai Luojiao sighed softly, “The Witch Queen was the high priest of our Bai Miao tribe. If she were still alive, our region would surely have good weather and abundant harvests. It’s just a pity that she disappeared for more than ten years. After hearing about your situation, the chieftain ordered us to come and bring you back.”

Zhao Ling'er looked utterly dejected. If her mother were still with the Bai Miao tribe, she probably would have left with them without a second thought, but now…

Ling Yun patted her shoulder and gave Ling'er a warm smile, which cheered the girl up a bit.

“General Gai, we will eventually go to the Bai Miao tribe.” Ling Yun put his arm around the girl’s shoulder. “However, Ling’er’s mother is not there. Why don’t I take Ling’er to look around first? Maybe we can find news of her mother.”

"This is a matter of great importance, and I must apologize if I cannot agree."

Ling Yun stood in front of Ling'er, flicked his fingers, and the long sword behind him was unsheathed, hanging in mid-air and transforming into hundreds of sword qi phantoms.

Witnessing his powerful swordsmanship, Gai Luojiao's gaze narrowed slightly, and she prepared to fight to the death.

"Brother Lingyun, no..."

Ling'er grabbed his arm, and Ling Yun nodded in response, sheathing his flying sword. Before the Bai Miao women could react, he moved with lightning speed, instantly appearing beside Gai Luojiao, striking her neck with his palm and knocking her unconscious. He then easily disarmed and stunned the other women as well.

Lin Yueru and Zhao Ling'er carried the women to the shop, while Ling Yun carried Gai Luojiao to the innermost room.

He looked at Gai Luojiao on the bed, then glanced at the two women outside, and decided to collect some interest first, and then come back later to pluck this mature and charming Bai Miao general.

The young man pecked the beauty's lips briefly, then released her, branding her with the mark of "Beauty Recognizes Master" to ensure nothing went wrong. He then walked to the door and closed it.

Lin Yueru was gently comforting Zhao Ling'er, and the girl was very sensible, not continuing to pass on her negative emotions to her.

"Brother Ling." Seeing Ling Yun close the door and come out, Lin Yueru said to him, "If you go straight from here, you'll reach Chang'an. My uncle is being appointed as a minister there. Why don't we go there and take a look? We can also inquire about Ling'er's mother while we're at it. After all, Chang'an is the capital, and it's well-connected."

Although it sounded a bit impractical, Zhao Ling'er wouldn't let Lin Yueru's good intentions go to waste. She smiled and said, "Brother Lingyun, Sister Yueru just said that the capital city is very big and fun. Let's go there and have a look!"

"If you like it, that's fine. It's on the way anyway."

After discussing it, the three of them finally decided to go to the capital, Chang'an.

At night, while the three were camping in the wild, the women inside the house also woke up.

Gai Luojiao opened her eyes and, seeing the familiar ceiling in the dim light, immediately got up.

She felt a pang of regret. Today's plan had failed miserably. She had clearly put so much drug in the drink, so how come that handsome young man was unharmed?

However, thinking of Ling Yun's appearance, Gai Luojiao felt a stirring of romantic feelings. Realizing this, she immediately shook her head, feeling that Ling Yun had completely taken root in her heart, and she would never forget his appearance in this lifetime.

The door opened, and several women carrying candles walked in, kneeling before her in unison to beg for forgiveness.

"Alright, this isn't your fault. It's just that the guy was too amazing."

Thinking that she had been killed in an instant, Gai Luojiao was a little discouraged, but she guessed that the unfortunate Elder Shi was killed by him, which made her feel much better: "Let's go back to Bai Miao first. The Witch Queen is kind-hearted. As her daughter, Miss Ling'er will definitely not pretend to ignore it. They will still return to Miao territory."

Chapter 335 The Little Butterfly on the Spider Web

As the sun hung in the sky, illuminating the land, Lingyun awoke from his embrace.

If nothing unexpected happens, Gai Luojiao and the other women should have woken up last night, and if they were chasing after him, they should have arrived around this time. However, he demonstrated his strength yesterday, so those Bai Miao women shouldn't be so foolish as to come looking for him rashly.

"Get up. If we walk quickly today, we should arrive at the Liu residence around noon."

Yue Ru turned over. She was exhausted from being tormented by Ling Yun last night, and her back was still sore. She instinctively hugged Ling'er and prepared to sleep a little longer.

Ling Yun stepped forward and slapped her. Yue Ru cried out in pain, clutching her breast and looking at Ling Yun with a mournful expression.

"Brother Ling, please let Ling'er and me sleep a little longer!"

"Alright, you guys go to sleep first, I'm going out for a walk."

Ling Yun couldn't fall back asleep after waking up. He still had to travel today, and if he made any more demands, the two beauties might not be able to leave today.

After he finished washing up and changed his clothes, he took out a bucket of water and food and placed it outside the tent for them to use for washing up and having breakfast.

The young man was in a good mood as he listened to the birdsong. He didn't deliberately choose a route and just randomly picked a direction before entering the woods.

Not far from the capital Chang'an, he strolled through the woods for a while, fanning himself, when he suddenly saw a peculiar scene.

Between the branches of a low tree, there was a large spider web. At that moment, a beautiful butterfly landed inside the web. No matter how much she struggled, it was to no avail. Meanwhile, a large black spider was preparing to come forward and enjoy its spoils.

Upon seeing this, Lingyun poked a hole in the spider web with her finger and held the little butterfly in her palm, preventing it from being eaten by the spider.

The giant spider was enraged. It was about to devour the butterfly, but it was being blocked by a mere human. It immediately pounced forward and bit Ling Yun.

The young man frowned slightly, but did not kill the giant spider. After biting him, the spider paused for a moment, then quickly disappeared from sight.

Ling Yun touched the shallow wound on his finger. As expected of the Poison Lady with a hundred years of cultivation, she was actually able to bite through his skin and inject poison—although it was useless to him.

He opened his palm, and the butterfly circled him once before flying towards the horizon.

Ling Yun clapped his hands; the wounds on his hands had almost disappeared. He wandered around the woods for a while before returning to the tent.

After he left, the giant spider reappeared on the tree, but it had transformed into a beautiful woman with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a giant spider.

"I hope he's alright..."

Poisonous Lady gripped the tree trunk with both hands and touched her mouth. Her usually invincible sharp teeth hadn't been able to pierce the man's skin instantly, and the poison had been neutralized immediately after being injected, making it difficult for her to gauge the man's strength.

"Damn it, he ruined my plans, so why am I so interested in him?"

She had no idea that her "intimate" contact with Ling Yun had triggered the young man's passive ability. Even if she hadn't bitten him, she would have felt an innate affinity for him due to her "natural affinity."

Poisonous Lady rubbed her face, thought for a long time, and then transformed back into a spider, swinging on her webs to follow the young man's footsteps.

And what about the butterfly?

She flew through the air, located the young man's position, and then saw the spider. She then disappeared into the forest, secretly hiding behind him. As long as the spider dared to attack Ling Yun, she would fight the Poisonous Lady to the death, even though she was naturally restrained.

Ling Yun arrived at the tent and saw that the two women had already gotten up. However, he did not mention what had just happened. After they finished eating, he packed up the tent and continued on his way.

Poisonous Lady followed Ling Yun until he entered the capital unharmed, which relieved her. She glanced at the butterfly behind her, then abandoned any thought of preying on it, and slipped into the city through an inconspicuous gap.

Led by Lin Yueru, the three arrived at the Minister's residence. However, Lin Yueru's uncle was not there; instead, they were greeted by her aunt, Aunt Yun.

The entire Minister's mansion was draped in white cloth, and Aunt Yun was also dressed in plain white clothes, with tear stains remaining in the corners of her eyes.

She was beautiful and had a graceful figure. Her simple white dress covered her exquisite figure, adding a touch of charm.

"Aunt Yun!" Lin Yueru ran to her side, looked at her outfit, and asked hesitantly, "What happened?"

"Hey!"

Aunt Yun wiped away her tears with her sleeve: "Your cousin Jin Yuan went to your Suzhou not long ago. He got into a fight with someone in the inn and was seriously injured. He fell ill after returning and passed away the day before yesterday."

"what?"

Lin Yueru was shocked. Although she didn't like her bookish cousin Liu Jinyuan, they had been friends for so many years, and she was still saddened to hear that he was dead.

"Your uncle has already gone to Suzhou, and he's going to join forces with your father to find those scoundrels who bullied your cousin back then. They must... they must make them pay with their lives!"

After saying all this, she secretly shed tears again, which made Lin Yueru's heart clench. She hugged her and comforted her for a while.

Zhao Ling'er sighed. She had completely mastered the [Resurrection Spell] during her journey, which could revive people who had died in the short term but whose bodies were intact. However, Liu Jinyuan had been dead for more than a day, so even if the Heavenly King himself came, he would be powerless to save him.

"Aunt Yun, this is my...my friend Ling Yun, and this is Zhao Ling'er, who is also my sister." After Aunt Yun calmed down, Lin Yueru introduced the two to her.

"Hello, Aunt Liu!" Ling Yun nodded slightly.

"Hello, Aunt Liu." Zhao Ling'er bowed politely.

For some reason, seeing Ling Yun helped Aunt Yun's gloom gradually dissipate, but she was still saddened by the death of her son.

She led the three of them to the main hall, where Liu Jinyuan's body lay.

Seeing her cousin die a violent death, Lin Yueru felt a deep sorrow. Ling Yun put his arm around her waist and whispered a few words in her ear, leaving Aunt Yun, who was standing nearby, dumbfounded.

However, when she remembered the letter that came from Suzhou, she realized that this handsome young man must be the one who won the martial arts contest to marry Yue Ru!

"Yueru, why don't you stay here tonight? I'll have the servants prepare guest rooms for you."

"Thank you, Aunt Yun."

Although Aunt Yun is the wife of the Minister, she is very approachable, gentle, and her speech is always pleasant.

"How many rooms will you be staying in?" Aunt Yun asked Lin Yueru after composing herself.

“We…” Yue Ru looked up and glanced at Ling Yun, who was smiling but not saying anything, and Zhao Ling’er, who was a little reserved, before lowering her head and saying softly, “One room is enough.”

After saying that, she went to Aunt Yun's side and said in a hoarse voice, "Aunt Yun, I know you've always loved me the most since I was little, please don't tell my father!"

Aunt Yun gave a meaningful smile: "I understand."

While the two women and the maid returned to their room, Aunt Yun called out to Ling Yun.

"Your name is Ling Yun, right?"

"Yes, Aunt Liu." Ling Yun kept a certain distance from her, behaving very humbly.

“I can tell that Yue Ru likes you very much.” Aunt Yun stood dignifiedly in front of Ling Yun, her expression inscrutable. “She has been spoiled since childhood and is a little willful, but apart from that, she is a very good girl. I hope you will not let her down.”

“I know, Aunt Liu. I, Lingyun, am an upright person and will not let her down.”

"That's best."

Aunt Yun nodded in satisfaction, wanting to go to the room to take a look, but then she looked back at her son's body, and without paying attention to her footing, she stumbled and fell.

Ling Yun immediately stepped forward and put his arm around her waist, whispering, "Aunt Liu, be careful!"

Chapter 336 Chang'an, the Capital

Being so close to the young man, Aunt Yun felt her body burning up and quickly broke free from his embrace.

"Thank you, Lingyun."

"It's alright. The pain of losing a child is only natural. I can understand."

Ling Yun glanced at the coffin again and said, "I learned some medical skills from the doctor in town when I was young, and I also met Brother Jin Yuan once at the Gusu Inn. I wonder if I could take another look at him? Perhaps there is another reason for his death?"

Looking at the young man's sincere face, Aunt Yun hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Ling Yun pushed open the coffin lid and saw Liu Jinyuan's appearance.

He died the day before yesterday, and there hasn't been much change yet, except that his skin is deathly pale.